Heartbroken
by strawberryfinn
Summary: [COMPLETE]. Ponyboy gets in a fight with Darry, and gets mugged when he leaves. But by who?
1. Beaten

NOTE: I do not own _The Outsiders_. S.E. Hinton does.

"I _did_ do my homework!" exclaimed Ponyboy.

"Well you didn't do to _well_ on it did you now?" roared back his older brother, Darry.

Darry was right. Pony had gotten a D on that assignment. Pony hated it when Darry was right.

"Why are you always picking on me?" said Pony, trying to change the subject. "You never chew out Soda for anything!"

"That's because Soda uses his head!" yelled Darry.

"I'm so _tired _of you!"

"Well if you don't care, then maybe I shouldn't! Maybe I should just let you wind up in a boy's home!"

"Well at least then I could do what I wanted to do!"

"I'm worried about you; you could at least listen!"

"I'm over listening," Pony retorted, heading for the door.

"I'm not done yet!" ranted Darry, grabbing Pony by the back of his shirt and pulling Pony to face him.

"Well I am!" Pony yelled, turning away.

Darry slapped him. "LISTEN TO ME!"

Pony's eyes filled with tears. "You just h-hit me."

"I'm sorry," Darry said exhaustedly, crumbling on the ground. "I'm just so stressed out and… I didn't mean it Pony."

"I h-hate you," Pony hissed.

Then he wished he hadn't said anything. The pain on Darry's face was more than he could handle. But he wasn't sorry – he wasn't!

"Get out," Darry shouted. "GET OUT!"

Pony turned and bolted out the door.

xxx

Pony wandered aimlessly around until he finally decided to stop at the gas station to see Soda and Steve. He didn't like Steve much, but felt the need to see Soda.

He and Darry had broken the promise to Soda again, and Pony felt ashamed. He knew it hurt Soda every time he and Darry fought, but he needed to be understood, and only Soda could do that.

He finally reached the gas station, where Soda was sitting against a car while Steve was doing all the work.

"Soda," he called.

Sodapop looked up and smiled. "Pony."

But then he read the look in his brother's eyes and his smile fell. "You've been fighting with Darry again, haven't you?"

Pony nodded sadly, "I'm sorry Soda."

Soda sighed, wiping tears from his eyes. Then he noticed a large red mark on Pony's face.

"Did he hit you?"

Pony nodded quietly, tears stinging his eyes.

Soda, understanding, reached out and hugged him.

"Darry loves you Pony," he whispered, rocking his baby brother, "he loves you more than you'll ever know."

xxx

Ponyboy stayed with Steve and Soda until it was dark. Soda decided to head home.

"I'll come home with Steve later, ok Soda? I don't think I'm ready to face Darry yet."

"Yeah ok honey," Soda said, hugging Pony.

An hour later, Steve looked over at Pony. "You want to head back now then?"

Pony nodded, and they started back. About two blocks away from the gas station, Pony was kicked in the legs.

"Wha – Steve?"

Steve didn't answer, but slugged him in the face.

"Steve, _what are you doing_?"

Steve grunted. "You know how long I've been wanting to do this, Pony? I hate you. I've hated you all along. You always get in the way between me and Soda. You're always such a third wheel." He roughly slapped Pony across the face.

Pony was stunned. He'd never really liked Steve, but he thought that Steve had accepted him. He was Soda's brother!

Pony opened his mouth to yell for help. Steve caught this.

"No, I'm not going to let you get away with that trick," he muttered, pulling out a dirty handkerchief and stuffing it roughly into Pony's mouth. Then, he pulled Pony to the ground and sat on him, punching him as hard as he could on his face.

Pony felt his eyes fill with tears and trickle down his face, all while trying to convince himself that this wasn't Steve. This _couldn't_ be Steve. Steve would never do this to him.

Then Ponyboy felt himself stiffen as Steve pulled out his switchblade. Drawing it along Pony's skin, Pony felt his hairs rise. Steve placed the switchblade carefully on one of Ponyboy's cheeks, and then, with agonizing slowness, he cut a deep, painful cut. Blood came spurting out and Pony felt sick.

Steve ripped Pony's shirt with his switchblade and started cutting into Pony's sides, and then down at his thighs, the younger boy's screams muffled by the handkerchief. Blood poured everywhere and Pony felt himself gag.

Pony managed to spit out the handkerchief for a second. "Please stop," he whispered in a pained voice.

Steve smiled. "Stop? Pony, I'm just getting started."

The handkerchief was stuffed back in, and Pony fell into an endless nightmare. He was kicked, slashed, stabbed, punched. And the worst fact was that this was Steve. Steve Randle. His brother's best friend. How could he do this?

His last thought before he passed out was, _I'm sorry Darry. I should have listened. I love you._

Review?


	2. Discovered

Holy cow, people like this story a lot.

xxx

"Where is Pony?" Darry hollered at Soda when he came in. He was pacing back and forth wildly, and Soda could see the pain and regret that covered his face.

"He was at the gas station with Steve," Soda answered. "He wasn't ready to come home yet. Darry, you promised. Why'd you hit him?"

Darry sighed. "I don't know Sodapop. It just—he never listens to me. All he ever does is push me away. Sometimes I feel like he doesn't even _love_ me."

Soda stared at him. He saw his older brother—cold, alone, hurt.

"Don't say that," he whispered. "Pony _does_ love you."

"Well he sure doesn't act like it," Darry retorted, his voice level raising. Then, "I'm sorry Soda, I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm just so afraid—I have to work so hard, because I want to keep you guys so bad—but, he never listens to me. He just shoves me off, and it really hurts, Soda. He loves you so much more than he cares about me. And I just—I don't know—I just want him to come home to me for once." His voice cracked in pain.

Soda hugged his older brother, saying the words that he had to his little brother that same day, "Pony loves you, Darry. He loves you more than you'll ever know."

xxx

"Mom, I'm going out, ok?" Bryon Douglass (from _That Was Then, This Is Now_ by S.E. Hinton; doesn't particularly like the Curtis family that much; thinks they're stuck-up and good-looking) asked.

"Sure Bryon," his mother replied, looking worriedly at her son. He hadn't been the same since what had happened with Mark, about one year ago. No one had.

Bryon was heading out, down the block, trying not to think of who had used to be his best friend. Walking past a vacant lot on his way to M&M's (boy who's a bit of a hippie) house he saw a navy sweater with sleeves cut off on the ground. Shrugging, he picked it up—M&M would probably like it—and started heading off, but he stopped. Moving back to the lot, he saw something that looked like oil on the ground—it was sort of hard to see, because it was already dark—and he bent down. It was blood. The smell sickened him, and he looked around to see if there was anyone there.

Bryon didn't see anything, but he nervously headed inside the fenced area to make sure.

"Anyone here?" he yelped.

There was silence.

"Anyone?" he said again, a bit more quietly this time.

He strained his ears for an answer.

He heard a slight moan, and turned around.

xxx

Ponyboy was hurt. He hurt more than he knew someone could ever hurt. His arm was snapped, along with a couple of ribs, and also his leg. His face was bruised and bloody, along with his torso and legs. Blood slipped from everywhere, and when he coughed, blood came out too.

He almost wished he was unconscious again.

He heard a voice. "Anyone here?"

Pony tried to make a sound, but nothing came out.

"Anyone?"

This was his one last chance, he decided, and tried to sit up. Pain shot through his sides, and he moaned.

It saved his life.

xxx

About three hours had passed, and Pony still wasn't home. Darry wanted to go out and look for him, but Soda told him to give their brother a little more time.

"Pony takes a while to get over things," he reassured his stressed brother.

Darry sat down on a couch, and tried to occupy himself by watching TV, but his thoughts kept on straying to his baby brother and what was happening. Soda, a little less concerned, curled up on the couch, put his head in Darry's lap, and fell asleep pretty quickly.

Darry stared down at his brother. Why was it that he could never get mad at Soda?

Soda was different, he guessed. He was always so happy, and you could never get mad at someone who was like that. Even if you hollered at him, he just kept on smiling, and hiding the hurt. But you'd know that you'd hurt him, and you never wanted to do it again.

But if someone really hurt him, he didn't want to hide it. Soda just let it all out. He was still a kid in that way—he cried a lot. He cried more than Pony, and definitely more than Darry.

He was someone you could lean on. He was support. He was… well, he just was Soda. Darry didn't know how else to put it.

And Pony? Pony… sometimes—Pony was oversensitive. Everything hurt him. And he let you know it. He wouldn't always cry, but the look he gave you in those greenish-gray eyes let you know it. And you never wanted to hurt him, but he just made you mad so easily.

Darry. Darry tried to analyze himself. Things hurt him—he knew that from experiences with Ponyboy—but, Darry always hid it. He looked at people with his eyes that always seemed so cold—those green-blue eyes of ice, as Pony described it. And only his brothers could tell when something was really bugging him.

_I hope Pony comes home soon_, he thought, and felt a tear fall from his eye. He wiped it off.

_I never cry. I have to stay tough. I have to show my brothers how to survive. Or else they'll never make it._

xxx

"Who's there?" Bryon yelled.

He turned wildly around, and saw a shape on the ground.

"Who are you?"

The figure raised a hand and let out a moan of pain. "P-ponyboy Curtis."

"Yeah sure," Bryon said, sneering.

"B-bryon? That you?"

Bryon gaped, and bent closer. "Curtis? That you?"

He'd never really liked the Curtis brothers, especially Ponyboy. Ponyboy was the guy that Angela had dumped him for, and who had gone out with Cathy, but he'd gotten over it, and started to maybe even like Pony. It was just that the guy was so good-looking with his reddish-brownish hair, and those green-grey eyes. The oldest brother was pretty handsome too, with his sturdy frame, and dark hair. He was a great football player too—Bryon had played on the team with him for about one week (he didn't like authority, so he'd quit pretty soon), seeing that he himself was pretty large to, with a St. Bernard puppy look. Bryon didn't remember his name, though. Or the other one's for that matter, who was definitely the best-looking, at seventeen now. He had the long, blonde hair, and those thoughtful blue eyes, and that great smile.

That was the thing that had bugged Bryon so much. That guy was always smiling, like he had no worries in the world—everybody liked him. Bryon didn't want to like him, so he'd just stayed away from that guy. He was jealous of that guy, he could tell.

Sure, that guy had his share of own problems, but Bryon ignored them. Just those Curtis brothers were so cocky—it wasn't their fault they were so good-looking—but the bunch just bugged him.

The kid on the ground whimpered, and Bryon was brought back to reality.

"Curtis, what happened to you kid?"

Pony coughed weakly, and Bryon smelled blood. He couldn't really tell the kid's condition from here, but he knew that it was bad.

"I got beat up," he said, coughing up more blood.

"Kid, don't talk," Bryon ordered.

Pony groaned, and whimpered.

"Kid, I'll be right back, ok?"

"Don't leave me," Pony gasped.

"I have to go get a car, and I have to go get your brothers. You wait here, ok? You live on Killo Circle, right?"

"Yes," came a faint reply. "Tell Darry I'm sorry, ok? Tell him—I love him, please?"

"Sure Curtis," Bryon said worriedly. "I won't be gone for too long, ok?"

But Pony didn't hear him. He was already lost in delirium, begging for 'Soda', 'Darry', 'Mom', 'Johnny', and 'Dad'.

Bryon shook off his concerns about leaving the kid there; there was nothing else he could do, right?

He ran as fast as he could—he knew where the Curtis guys lived because Mark had dragged him there before. _Don't think about Mark_, he commanded himself.

He neared up to the house, a sort of shack with a porch. He ran up and knocked hard on the door, even though it was open, stopping to catch his breath.

xxx

Darry heard a knock on the door, and prepared himself not to yell at Pony. Soda, sleepily rubbed his eyes, and sat up.

Darry went and opened the door. It wasn't Pony though.

It was a kid that looked sort of familiar, but Darry couldn't place where he'd seen him before.

The teen collapsed, wheezing slightly, and Darry stepped back.

"WHO ARE YOU?" he yelled.

"Bryon Douglass," the teen replied. "You're the Curtis boys, right?"

"Yeah," said Soda, wide awake now. "What do you want?"

The teen looked as if he was searching for a name. Then he got it. "Darry, you're Darry right?"

Darry looked at him like he was crazy.

"I'm Bryon, remember? I was on the football team."

A slight look of recognition flashed over Darry's face, and he nodded.

"You're that kid—Pony's friend's brother. That kid—Mark, right? What do you need?"

Bryon ignored him. "And you're—who are you?" he said, indicating Soda.

"Sodapop," Soda told him.

"What do you need?" Darry demanded.

Bryon looked at him for a while, blank, and then gasped. "Ponyboy. He's hurt. Really bad, in the vacant lot near the drugstore."

Darry roared, and lunged at Bryon. "What did you do to him?"

"DARRY!" Soda yelled, pulling his brother off the crumpled boy on the floor.

Then he pulled Bryon up. "Where's my brother? WHERE IS HE?"

"I already told you," Bryon said, "but we need to get over there. Now. He's bad, really bad."

Darry looked at him suspiciously. "What if you're lying?"

"I'm not," Bryon told them, taking a navy sweater with the sleeves cut off and handing it to Soda. "This familiar?"

Soda looked at the sweater and gripped it until his knuckles turned white. "Pony."

"Well let's go!" Bryon yelled.

Darry seemed to wake up from his daze. Grabbing both Bryon and Soda, he pulled them towards the door. He opened his car door and shoved them all inside.

Driving like a madman, he reached the vacant lot.

"_PONY!_ WHERE IS HE?" he screamed at Bryon, who seemed a bit intimidated by his size.

Bryon ran in, and Soda and Darry followed.

"Here," he stated, pointing.

"Ponyboy, Pony," Darry said, a choking sound in his voice, a helpless look on his face. "Pony…"

Soda crumpled to the ground. "Pony?"

Pony whimpered quietly. "Soda? D-darry?"

Soda reached out and held him, against his chest, sobbing into Pony's hair. "Pony, Pony, Pony, Pony, Pony. Who did this to you? Why?"

Darry turned on Bryon. "Call an ambulance, would you? Please?"

Bryon nodded and headed off.

"Pony, Pony, Pony," Darry said, collapsing, and holding his brother's head. "Don't give up on me, Pony. I can't lose you. I can't lose you. I can't…" his voice broke off. "I'm so sorry," he said, tears choking him. "Please…"

Pony didn't hear him. Pony was unconscious.

"The last thing he heard was me telling him to get lost," said a tearful Darry to Soda. "He has to be ok, he's going to be ok, right?"

"He's going to be ok," Soda said, determinedly. "Pony's a tough kid, Darry. He won't die on us now."

Darry's face crumpled up, and Soda gave a choked sob. He hugged his brother, and they rocked each other, each crying hysterically. If Pony didn't make it, neither of them could live.

Review?


	3. Waiting

Wow this story's a keeper.

xxx

The sound of sirens let them know that Bryon had done his job and called an ambulance. An ambulance drove up near the vacant lot, and Darry watched numbly as his baby brother was loaded onto a stretcher. Soda stroked him softly.

Darry and Soda stepped up to Bryon. "I'm very thankful about what you did for my brother," Darry choked. "Thank you for letting us know, but I don't think you need to be involved in this situation any longer."

Soda nodded beside him, his eyes on the ground.

Bryon smiled. "No problem. And don't worry, I know Curtis. He's a strong fighter. Thank you."

As Bryon walked away, all the events swirled in his mind. He realized it now. He had done the right thing by turning Mark in—the same as he had done by saving Ponyboy. His mind cleared and he sobbed as he buried Mark forever. He had done the right thing, and that's what life was all about. He was wrong about those Curtis boys. They were just as sensitive as him, perhaps even more. It wasn't their fault they were so good-looking. And they weren't stuck-up either. Pony—he was just shy, Soda—he was a really nice kid, and Darry—he acted cold, but he was sensitive and hurt easily.

He liked those Curtis boys. He'd see them again.

xxx

Soda and Darry watched silently as Bryon Douglass walked away.

"He's a good kid," Soda said quietly.

"Yeah," Darry answered.

They turned their attention to their brother.

Darry stepped up to a worker. "I have to go with my brother," he told him.

The worker nodded, understanding what it was all about. Soda and Darry got in the back of the ambulance, and headed for the hospital.

When they reached it, Darry headed after a worker to fill out Pony's medical forms, while Soda called Steve and Two-Bit to tell them what had happened.

xxx

"Hello?" Steve picked up the phone, answering it in his gruff voice. He ran his fingers through his dark, tousled hair.

"Steve?" There were choked sobs from the other end.

"Soda? What happened? Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Soda sniffled from the other end. "It's just that we found Pony… he got beat up, and he's pretty bad."

"Oh no," Steve said, with an air of shock. An uneasiness crept into his voice, "How is he?"

"We don't know yet, but Steve, who could do this to Pony? It's those Socs. I'm going to kill all of them. Steve, Steve," he gasped. "He's worse than Johnny. I don't know what to do… I don't know what to do…" he cried, tears running down his face.

Steve felt like he had been slapped in the face. He saw his best friend standing, hopeless with grief. "Who found him?" he asked, his voice quavering. He thought, Pony should have died, it would have all been better. What did I do to SODA?

"Some kid named Bryon Douglass," Soda told him. "Steve can you come here? We're at the hospital," his shoulder shook as he sobbed. "Please."

"Don't worry Soda," Steve said. "I'll be there." He hung up, wiping tears from his eyes. What did I do? What did I do? Why did I do that? I've destroyed Soda… I've broken him…

xxx

The phone rang. "Emma!" called Mrs. Matthews. "Get the phone!"

Emma, a slight thirteen-year-old, ran to answer it, while her older brother, Keith (Two-Bit) crashed into her.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Emma," came a voice hoarse with grief. "This is Soda. Can I talk to Two-Bit?"

"Two-Bit, it's for you," Emma said, handing the phone over to her brother.

"Hey," Two-Bit said happily. "What's up?"

"Two-Bit," came a quiet reply.

Two-Bit immediately knew something was wrong. The happy-go-lucky teen was hurt and he knew it, just from hearing his voice. "Soda, what happened?"

"Ponyboy got beat up," came the voice from the other end, starting to cry. "He's worse than Johnny Two-Bit, he's worse than Johnny. I'm going to kill those Socs. Two-Bit, I need you over here. Darry needs you. Please."

"Don't sweat Soda, I'll be there," Two-Bit said, already rubbing the tears at his eyes. "I'll be there."

"What happened?" Mrs. Matthews called from the kitchen.

"It's Ponyboy. He's hurt bad," Two-Bit told his mother.

"Oh no, poor kid," Mrs. Matthews came out, wiping her hands on a dishcloth. "Keith, wait, I'll take you there. You too Emma, we're going."

xxx

After Darry had filled out the paperwork, he collapsed in a chair in the waiting room. Soda sobbed into his chest, until, his face red with tears, he fell asleep. Darry wiped a tear from his eye. _The last thing he ever heard from me was to get out. How could I say that to him? He's my Pony, and he's all that I'm ever going to get._

xxx

Someone shook Darry's shoulder.

"Huh?" He looked up and shook his head. "Hey Two-Bit."

"Hey," said Two-Bit, pulling out a chair, and crumbling inside it. "How's Pony?"

Soda woke up. "Two-Bit."

"How's Ponyboy?" Two-Bit asked him.

"Pony? What happened to Pony?" Soda looked dazed and bewildered.

"Soda, are you ok, little brother?" Darry looked down at his brother in concern. "Little buddy, you ok?"

Soda looked around. Then, he remembered the situation, and stepped back like he had been slapped. "Pony, Pony, Pony. Is he going to be ok, Darry?"

Darry looked at him with a helpless expression on his face. "I don't know Pepsi-Cola, I don't know."

Mrs. Matthews and Emma had joined them by that time, and pulled out chairs. They sat down, and the wait continued.

xxx

"Hey, there's Steve," said Emma.

Steve Randle, walked down the hospital aisle, throwing dirty looks at doctors and nurses. Then he saw Soda, and his heart broke.

"Sodapop," he moaned. He broke into a heavy run and headed towards Soda, grabbing him and pulling him to the ground. "I can't believe it's Pony, oh my God how are you hanging in?"

Soda looked at him through sad eyes. "We don't know yet," he whispered. "We don't know anything yet."

Sorry, that was short.

Review?


	4. Visit

Itry to update quickly, but it's a bit hard. Writer's block.

xxx

About three hours later, a doctor came out. He smiled grimly at the group of boys lying in the waiting room. They had cried themselves to sleep. They looked so innocent and young, asleep. Perhaps, all kids were like that…

_Poor kids. They wouldn't have turned out this way if someone had given them a chance… _

He hesitantly poked the oldest, toughest looking one on the shoulder. Darrel, that was his name.

Darrel blinked and opened up his eyes. "How is he?" he asked in a strangled voice.

His brother, the blonde one, shook himself up, and looked at the doctor with bright, anxious eyes. The boy next to him opened one of his eyes, and got up. Soon, they were all awake (including the little girl and the lady), awaiting the verdict.

"Ponyboy," the doctor said, clearing his throat. "Ponyboy…"

"How is he? Is he ok?" Soda begged.

"Tell him or I'm going to beat you to pulp," said Steve, rubbing his fist in his hand. Perhaps they weren't so innocent after all.

"He's in critical condition," the doctor said. "He fractured two ribs, one femur, one arm, and has countless bruises. The person or people who attacked him—well—he or they had knives. They cut him, and he needed stitches. At this point…" he sighed, "I can't tell whether he's going to make it or not."

Soda dropped his face is crushed hope. "He's going to make it," he breathed. "He is. HE IS!"

He screamed and buried his face in Steve's shoulder. Steve felt guilt twist in his heart. _Pony, please make it. I DIDN'T MEAN IT. I didn't. I'm so sorry._

But it was too late.

xxx

"Darrel, Soda," Mrs. Matthews said, wiping her eyes. "You boys go on home now. We can't stay here all night."

"I'm not going to leave him," said Soda, his eyes rimmed with red. "I'm not going to leave him."

"Soda, honey," Mrs. Matthews said, hugging him. "You can't do anything here."

"HE NEEDS ME!" Soda screamed. "HE NEEDS ME! He needs me," he said, sobbing. "He needs us. Don't you understand?"

He looked wildly around at Darry, who was crying into his hands. "I can't leave him…" Darry moaned. "I can't… I have to be here in case he wakes up. You don't understand… the last thing I ever let him know was that I hated him. What kind of brother am I?"

"Darry," Mrs. Matthews started, and then stopped. She awkwardly patted him on the back. Then, giving up, she left.

"Mom," protested Two-Bit.

She shushed him. "Just leave him there," she said. "It's ok."

xxx

Darry sat, numbly staring at a picture that hanging in front of him on the wall. There were brightly colored flowers in the picture, blooming up towards the sun.

_How can they grow?_ he thought to himself. _How can they if my life is gone? HOW CAN LIFE GO ON WHEN PONY'S SICK? How is it possible?_

His vision blurred, and he thought to himself, _No more of that. I have to be brave for Soda, I have to._

But a voice, deep inside his head, thought, _I'm tired of being brave. I just want my Pony back. _

xxx

_A pale, white figure was being lowered into a coffin, sunk down into a grave. He was afraid to look at it, who was it? _

_ There was a pale flash of reddish-brownish hair, and he had to see who it was. Leaning towards it, he let out a yelp of fear. It was Ponyboy. _

"NO!" screamed Soda, scratching wildly. "No, not Pony, not Pony."

Someone was shaking him, yelling, "Wake up! Come on, Soda, it's just a dream, it's just a dream."

Soda woke up in a cold sweat. "Oh my God Darry what if he doesn't make it?" He sobbed brokenly into his brother's arms. "I don't think I would make it Darry. I don't think I would."

Darry hugged him, and buried his face in his brother's hair. "I love you Soda, I love you, I love you. He's going to be ok, it's ok."

"I love you too, Darry," Soda whispered. "I love you…"

xxx

They waited miserably that week. That first night, Soda and Darry had yelled themselves hoarse demanding to stay there. The doctor simply called a security guard, who kicked them outside. Then, they had nowhere to go but home.

Steve had left his house again after his dad chewed him out, and took refuge with Soda. Soda was someone he could help, someone who needed him. He couldn't help himself or his dad, so he helped his friend.

He was a shoulder for Soda to sob in when Darry had to go to work. He talked to his best friend at the gas station. But he was so racked by guilt, he started to lose himself. How could he have hurt Pony? What had happened to him?

Steve didn't tell Soda of course. His friend would disown him, but also, he would hurt his friend even more. And he had already hurt him enough.

Steve couldn't eat. He couldn't sleep at night. He couldn't look Soda in the eye, but the poor guy was already so hurt, he didn't notice. He started talking to himself, having dreams where Soda hated him. He woke up screaming.

He couldn't tell Soda, could he? He couldn't. Soda was angry and bitter with revenge. He attacked every Soc he saw, not knowing who had beaten up Pony, so he got every one. Little did he know that it was his best friend.

And all Steve could do was hope that Pony would get better. But once Pony woke up, everybody would know the truth.

xxx

It was the call that started it all. Darry, tired and disheveled, answered the phone listlessly. Probably that Soc Randy, who wanted to know if Pony was okay, or maybe Two-Bit.

But it was Bryon. "Hey, Darry."

"Yeah."

"Hey, I'm at the hospital, and the doctor says you can come visit Pony now. He says he's better. He's not in critical condition anymore."

Darry brushed his hand through his hair in joy. "You serious?"

"Yeah," said Bryon, who didn't seem to get excited that easily. "You and Soda can come because you're family… but I guess that means Steve and Two-Bit can come too." Bryon had run into Two-Bit and Steve several times trying to see Pony.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Darry hung up the phone, and stood there for several minutes. Then, he yelped in joy. "SODA, SODA, SODA!"

Soda who was wearily eating a piece of chocolate cake looked up. "What Darry?"

"The doctor says Pony's going to be ok, and we can visit him now!"

Soda stood staring at him for a second, and then leaped up and gave his brother a hug. Darry told him to call Steve and Two-Bit, and they all met at the hospital.

Steve looked a little shaken up: he was afraid of what could happen.

xxx

"Darry, Soda, Darry, Soda, Mom, Dad, Darry, Darry, Soda, Soda," mumbled a delirious Pony.

Darry reached out and shook his brother's shoulder. "Pony?"

His brother looked so pale, and white… so innocent and vulnerable attached to IVs and a huge white plaster cast on his leg. He opened one of his grayish-green eyes, and Darry's heart broke.

"Oh God Pony, I thought I lost you, I love you, I'm so sorry, Oh my God, I missed you, please forgive me, I love you, I couldn't live without you, I couldn't ever lose you..." All his desperation came pouring out, and pretty soon, he was babbling away like an idiot, sobbing and crying, his voice cracking in pain. "I love you Pony, I'm sorry."

Pony's eyes filled with tears. "I love you too Darry," he managed to whisper.

Soda jumped next to him. "I love you Ponyboy Michael Curtis," he said with a laugh. "I love you baby brother."

Pony flashed a grin at Soda. "I love you too Sodapop Patrick Curtis."

Two-Bit smiled. "Now, I know you're all lovey-dovey with your brothers, but doesn't a good pal deserve some lovin' to?"

Pony grinned. "Two-Bit, you're a great guy."

"Now, that's right," Two-Bit said, wearing his floppy smile like a small puppy.

Steve cleared his throat. "Hey Ponyboy."

Pony's heart froze. This was Steve. This was the person who had hurt him in the first place.

Review?


	5. Revealed

xxx

"Hi Steve," Pony whispered uneasily.

Steve stared at him with cold eyes, and Pony was so scared he couldn't speak. Nobody seemed to notice the tension in the room, and Soda jumped on Steve and tackled him to the ground.

Unfortunately, Steve was saved by Bryon, (not yet, he's not guilty yet…) who came in. "Hey, Curtis."

"Hey Bryon," Pony said, still wary, "thanks about… you know."

"No problem kid," Bryon said, cracking one of his rare smiles.

They talked on, and celebrated, but no one thought to ask Ponyboy about who had hurt him. Darry had told all of the guys this outside, saying that Pony maybe wasn't emotionally prepared to reveal this hidden enemy.

Pretty soon, a doctor came in and shooed them all out.

xxx

The next day, Pony wasn't well enough to be seen. However, Soda and Darry, who already knew that Pony was on the road to recovery, didn't press. They visited him the day after that. Pony stayed in the hospital for three more days, and then he was allowed to come home.

xxx

Hobbling along on a pair of crutches, Soda helped his brother to the house. He and Darry had set up the couch so that Pony could just stay there until he got better. The doctor had ordered that Pony should stay in bed for another week or two. It was very late when they got back, so Pony collapsed on the couch, and Soda curled up next to him. Darry pulled out a chair nearby, and they all fell asleep.

The next day, Darry had to head off to work. "Pony, no smoking," he warned. "You can't; the doctor says so."

Pony grinned and said weakly, "Don't carry too many bundles of roofing, ok?"

"Ok, little buddy," Darry said, smiling at him. "Bye baby, ok? Listen to Two-Bit."

Two-Bit had been recruited to baby-sit Pony, because Soda had to leave shortly after. But at the moment, he was still there.

Sitting down in a chair near Pony, he stared at his younger brother. "How could they do it?"

Pony didn't know what he was talking about.

"What?"

"Who did this to you Pony? Every single night since it happened, I've been just staring out in the middle of nowhere. Who did this to you? How could they? What did you ever do? It was those Socs, wasn't it? It was those Socs! I'm going to kill all of them, trust me Pony, I'm going to get every single one!" This was Soda's moment. This was the time when he expressed all the desperation and emotion that had been weighing him down every since Bryon had come in.

"Pony, I'm just asking you. _Who did this to you?_"

xxx

Pony stared at him, wide-eyed in shock. "You won't believe me," he managed to whisper in a pained voice.

"Yes I will Pony, yes I will!" Soda yelped in desperation. "Please Pony," he begged, "I've been going crazy. I can't see how anybody would hurt you. I love you so much, and how could anyone hurt you…" his voice dropped to a whisper, "you were worse than Johnny, Pony. _Who could have done this to you?_"

There was silence. And then, "It was Steve."

xxx

duh duh duhn. review?


	6. Shattered

xxx

Soda was quiet, staring at his brother. "Pony, this isn't funny."

"I'm not lying." Ponyboy's voice was flat, low, and pained. He wasn't lying.

But Soda couldn't believe it. "You're lying."

"I'm not lying. I'm telling the truth."

"YOU ARE LYING!" Soda stood up at an intimidating height. "HE WOULDN'T DO IT! YOU'RE LYING!"

Pony began slowly again. He knew it would end up like this. He'd known it all along. It was so predictable. "I'm not lying Soda…"

"YOU'RE LYING!" Soda was screaming, sobbing, tears were running down in face. And then, in a movement that seemed couldn't be possible, he raised his hand and struck Pony as hard as he could across the face.

Ponyboy stumbled back and fell off the couch, landing on the floor with a loud crack. He couldn't believe it. _Soda_ had hit him. That older brother he had always loved, always worshipped. The person that had meant the world to him.

He was truly lost now. He didn't even look up as Soda left the room, screaming in disbelief, or when Two-Bit came in and helped him onto the couch.

xxx

Soda walked, stabbing the sidewalk with his feet in anger and disbelief. How could Pony _lie _to him? Why would he choose _Steve_?

_It's not Steve. Steve likes Pony. Steve likes me. Why would Steve do this to me?_

He arrived at the gas station, where Steve was helping prepare a car. He stood at the corner of the building until Steve caught up with him.

"Hey Soda," he said.

"Steve…" Soda broke off. Then he started to yell out all his accusations, "Pony said… Pony told me… Ponboy… _DID YOU DO IT?_"

Steve looked down at the floor. He didn't even try to lie. "Yes."

Soda's world fell apart. He felt faint, and started to stagger. He would have fell straight to the ground, but Steve caught him, looking at his best friend in concern. Soda punched him in the face.

Steve's lip was bleeding, but he tried to explain. "Soda…"

"I TRUSTED YOU!" Soda said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I TRUSTED YOU! DARRY TRUSTED YOU! PONY," his voice cracked in pain, "TRUSTED YOU! AND HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HIM?"

"Soda… I don't…"

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!" Soda went on, now sobbing. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME? YOU WERE MY BROTHER STEVE, YOU ARE MY BROTHER? BUT HOW CAN YOU DO THIS TO PONYBOY? WHAT DID HE DO TO DESERVE THIS? WHAT DID _I_ DO TO DESERVE THIS? I can't believe you Steve…" his voice quavered, "all along, you just played along. 'Oh, Soda, it's going to be alright. He's going to be fine.' But Pony's never going to be fine again, and it's all your fault. You broke him, Steve. You broke him, and you broke me. I can't believe it Steve."

"Soda, I'm sorry… I didn't mean it."

But Soda didn't listen. He turned and walked away, sobbing his heart out.

"Hey, Curtis." It was Bryon.

xxx

Darry came home from work early, to check on Pony. He came over to see Two-Bit, looking worried at a feverish Pony on the couch.

"Hey, Ponyboy," said Darry, rubbing him on the back.

Pony turned over, and opened his eyes. Darry saw a large red mark, bleeding on his face, like someone had dug his nails into it.

"Oh my God Pony, what happened?"

"It was Soda," Pony said, barely over a whimper. "I told him…" he started crying, "I told him who hurt me."

"Honey," Darry bent down to his level, stroking his back, "who was it?"

"I can't…" Pony broke off at the edge of a whisper. "I can't tell you… you'll hate me too."

"Baby," Darry said, looking into his eyes, "Soda would never hate you."

"He hates me now," Pony said. He cried as hard as he could into Darry's shoulder. Darry held him the way Soda had held Johnny in the vacant lot. "It'll be ok, honey, it'll be ok little buddy."

Pony finally stopped crying, and leaned back. "Darry, it was Steve."

The blood drained from Darry's face. "Oh, God."

"I'm sorry Darry, I didn't know… I should have listened to you… I'm so sorry…"

"Shhh… Pony, it wasn't your fault. Just be quiet and go to sleep, ok? Two-Bit, you stay here? Thanks."

Darry headed out the door. He was going to find Soda and set things right.

xxx

"Hey," Soda said weakly to Bryon. "I guess you heard that then."

"I heard enough," said Bryon with a shrug. "Look Curtis, it'll be alright. It was just sort of like what happened with Mark. Mark was my brother, and my best friend. But he got wound up in something bad… and I just had to do the right thing. That's why I went to tell you about Pony. The person I was before would have just left him there. Life changes you, Curtis. I lost my brother. You lost your friend. But I'm still here, and I've gotten over it. I've tried to move on, and you will too."

Soda understood. "Thanks Bryon."

Bryon shook his hand. "Go do the right thing, Curtis."

xxx

What does Darry do? Review.


	7. Forgiving

xxx

Darry drove along the streets, looking around. There he was. Parking his car and running out, he grabbed Soda by his shirt and shoved him into the car.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?" he howled.

"Darry," Soda started.

Darry went on yelling in hysterics, hitting Soda as hard as he could in the face. Soda felt his lip split, but he didn't complain. He was wrong this time. "THIS IS YOUR LITTLE BROTHER SODA! HOW COULD YOU DO IT TO HIM?"

"Darry…" Soda tried again.

"HOW COULD YOU? I'M SO DISGUSTED WITH YOU! YOU BROKE HIM, SODA. YOU BROKE HIM!"

"He's changed," tried Soda feebly.

"Soda," Darry said, lowering his voice to a normal volume. It was a voice of intensity, not in volume, and Soda flinched. "This is Ponyboy. This is the little brother who you've loved all your life. This is the baby brother who you swore you'd protect when Mom and Dad died. This is the little brother that worships you—loves you more than anything in this entire world. He hasn't changed. _You have_. Ponyboy loves you. _Ponyboy loves you_. Why would he lie to you? This is the little boy that has worshipped you your entire life and _this is how you repay him?_"

xxx

Steve wiped his eyes. It was no use in crying. It was over. He'd messed everything up. He'd hurt everybody. _Oh God, I'm so sorry. How can I fix things?_

He knew there would be no fixing. He'd gone too far this time. _I've become Dallas_, he thought. _Taking out my revenge on everything in this world… those things that don't deserve it. The only question is… how far can I go?_

xxx

"You're right," said Soda breathlessly. "I understood Darry. Bryon talked to me. Do you think he'll forgive me?"

Darry looked at him through hard eyes. "I hope he does Soda, I hope he does."

They drove home and Two-Bit came running out.

"What happened Two-Bit?" Soda asked.

"Ponyboy," he whispered. "Ponyboy's gone."

xxx

"WHAT?" yelped Darry. "How could you lose him?"

"I didn't know Darry," said Two-Bit, cowering under the gaze. "He said he was hungry, so I went to find something for him to eat, and when I came out, he was gone. His crutches are gone too."

"Find him," Darry snapped. "Where could he be?"

Soda thought long and hard. _I'm Ponyboy_. _Where would I go?_

"The park," he told Darry.

"What?" Darry asked.

"I just know, trust me on this."

Darry shrugged. "Sounds like Pony."

xxx

Darry drove Two-Bit and Soda wildly to the park.

"Where is he?" asked an anxious Two-Bit. "Oh my God how could I lose him?"

"There," whispered a pale-faced Soda, pointing to a lone figure near a tree.

"Go tell him," Darry said in a bitter voice, shoving Soda ahead.

Ponyboy looked up. He was pale and the expression on his face was one of haunted fear. _Fear of what?_ Darry had to think for a second. Then he realized it. Pony was afraid of being hurt again.

Soda stepped up, and Pony stumbled back a step. "Get away from me," he said weakly. "Get away from me."

"Ponyboy," Soda started in a strained voice. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to…"

Ponyboy exploded. "GET AWAY FROM ME! I'M SO TIRED OF PEOPLE HURTING ME, JUST GET AWAY!"

"Ponyboy," Darry said. "He's not going to hurt you. I would kill him before he did. He just wants to talk."

Pony looked warily at Darry with a look so familiar that Darry almost burst out crying. It was the look Johnny had always worn: the kicked puppy one.

"Ponyboy," Soda said, wiping his tears with his sleeve. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry Pony. God, how can I say this? I should have believed you. It was just so sudden and… Pony, I want my brother back again. I want you back. You didn't deserve this. I want you back Pony. I want you back."

"I love you Soda," Pony said, his hard outer shell melting away. "I love you so much. You mean everything to me. But you destroyed me today, Soda. You stabbed me. You hurt me even worse than Steve did. I want to come back. I _will _come back. But you have to tell me something."

"Anything," Soda promised.

"What happened to your lip," Pony said, reaching out and gently stroking Soda's busted lip.

Soda smiled wryly. "Darry introduced me to his fist."

He was shocked at the reaction.

"NO! NO!" Pony screamed and fell back, stumbling and lying on the ground.

"What is it Pony?" Soda asked.

"I thought you were telling the truth," Pony whispered. "I thought you were telling the truth. DARRY!" he looked accusingly at his oldest brother. "I thought you weren't lying. I thought you really wanted me back, Soda. But Darry put you up to this, right? Darry made you… I can't believe I always listen. WHY DO I ALWAYS LISTEN?"

He broke out sobbing. Soda leaned forward, "No Pony, it's not that."

Ponyboy cringed and whimpered like a hurt puppy.

"I really want you back, Ponyboy. I want you back. You're all I have and I love you, Pony. I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you. I don't know how to prove that. Please Ponyboy, I can't believe I did this to you. I _need_ you back. Ponyboy, I can't live without you."

Pony's scared eyes looked up. "You promise?"

And Soda's heart broke once again. "I love you Pony. I love you. _Darry_ loves you. We need you back, please. We _need_ you back."

He leaned down next to his brother, and Pony buried his face in Soda's hair, sobbing out everything. The pain. The lies. The betrayal. The hurt. He let it all out, all the emotions that had been bottled up inside him.

Darry quietly reached over and picked up his little brother, his own tears mixing in with Pony's. He hugged him close to his body to warm his shivering brother.

Pony let out all the emptiness and broken thoughts, and his brothers shared his pain. And through the tears, Ponyboy smiled half-heartedly. It would be a long road to recovery, but he was where he wanted to be. _He was where he wanted to be._

_The End._

Sequel? Hmm...


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